Inupiaq Drum and Dance: A Cultural Renaissance

Alaska Native music and dance traditions are unique expressions of culture and spirituality. Each village has its own unique style of dance and music, reflective of a place in its geographic environment and history. In the 1960s and 70s, the Iñupiaq were among the many Native communities who joined together to stand up against the repression of culture and threat on Native lands by the state.

A resurgence began and led to a cultural renaissance for many Alaska Native tribes, alongside the civil rights movement and the influential 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which created several Native regional economic development corporations. This documentary introduces us to the Iñupiaq people who carry on these traditions of song and dance, while sharing stories of their ancestors.